Rear view mirror assemblies currently comprise a support structure also referred to as frame and a mirror element comprising a thin substrate or mirror pane, which may be made, for example, of glass. The mirror pane generally has a first reflective surface.
More recently, in rear view mirror assemblies the mirror pane is made of plastic material coated with at least one thin reflective layer on a first surface. Plastic based mirror panes have significant advantages over conventional glass based mirror panes. The former are significantly lighter and more cost effective than the latter. In addition, plastic mirror panes have an increased resistance to temperature changes and a good impact resistance as compared to glass based mirror panes. A further significant advantage in plastic based mirror panes is that the manufacture of the mirror pane is more flexible, such that large variety of forms can be made specifically with a wide range of curvatures, and with virtually any irregular surface being possible to be formed.
In such types of mirror assemblies where the mirror pane comprises a substrate made of plastic material coated with at least one thin reflective layer on the first surface, attaching of the mirror pane to the support structure is a delicate operation. It has been found that current ways of attaching the mirror pane to the support structure involves complexity and costs.
Document US2009213481 discloses a mirror assembly for motor vehicles comprising a housing having an opening and a mirror secured to the housing at the opening. The mirror is a unitary structure having a periphery and a flange extending around a portion of the periphery. The flange is adapted to be received into a channel formed in the periphery of a backing plate.
EP2457770 provides a mirror assembly comprising a mirror pane made of plastic material coated with at least one reflective layer on a first surface. The mirror pane has three or more clips for attaching to a support structure on a second surface of the mirror pane. The clips are configured such that they have at least one shoulder for increasing the contact area between the clip and the second surface.
EP0864465 refers to a mirror assembly having a reflective member moulded from plastics material attached to a support structure. The reflective member has a front surface with reflective coating and a rear surface with lugs having a ramp face leading to a detent edge. Lugs are intended to snap fit over a circular disk formed on an end of a support pillar which projects within a mirror case.
Notwithstanding the variety of solutions existing in the prior art for attaching parts in a rear view assembly there is still a need for a low cost, simple and effective devices and methods for attaching parts in a rear view assembly for motor vehicles.